As access to packet-based networks such as mobile telephone networks, the Internet and other communications networks becomes easier, convenient and more readily available, these networks are increasingly used for applications involving the transfer of content such as images, audio, video and other types of streaming content, text and other content. For example, content for computer software, music, video, news services, games and other applications is being requested and delivered via the Internet and, for many applications, via wireless networks such as those implemented for cellular telephone networks.
Content (e.g., audio, images or video) has evolved in application and is readily stored electronically. For example, the storage of music in rewritable electronic media has become a popular method in which to maintain and access music collections. Another example involves video applications, where digital recording and storage of television and personal video collections has become popular. Photos are often stored and accessed electronically, instead of relying upon conventional printed photos and physical photo albums.
As the electronic storage of content and other content grows in popularity, access to the content as well as convenient manners in which to store and protect the content and become increasingly important. For example, sales of music in downloadable audio formats are becoming increasingly popular. Digital audio players based in the home or office or mobile players that can be used in autos, laptop computers, personal listening devices and others are used for playback of this downloaded music. In order to play the music, audio content is loaded onto mobile players or local computers and used to locally play the music. The amount of storage space required for storing a large volume of audio content can exceed the memory capacity of digital audio players, computers or other appliances capable of playing music. In this regard, the management and use of audio, as well as other content such as image content and video content, has become increasingly burdensome in view of the demand for and use of this content, and in particular as rights associated with content are to be maintained.
As applied to conventional documents and other types of content (e.g., text-based documents, spreadsheets or presentations), the demand for flexible and efficient access to such content has also grown. For example, many workplaces have become increasingly mobile; employees are often working from a remote location such as at home or at traveling locations. Access to content from remote locations has been particularly useful for facilitating mobility while maintaining a desirable level of access to information. However, the growing size of content files desirably transferred to facilitate mobility or to otherwise provide flexible content access has presented challenges to the delivery of such content over communications channels. For instance, email is generally limited in its ability to transfer large content files, such as audio, video, text and presentation files.
For many communication applications, the increase in use and lack of availability of content transfer approaches requires the creative use of communications channels and content. To meet these and other content transfer needs, networks have been enhanced both in the ability to process larger quantities of content and in the ability to process content at a higher rate of speed. In addition, packet-based devices have been improved to increase the speed at which content can be processed and transferred. However, as the demand for high quantity content transfer increases, these needs become more difficult to meet.
One challenge to content transfer on the Internet stems from the inflexibility of content transfer channels. For example, if a content supplier sells content to an end user via the Internet, the end user typically downloads the content using one of only a handful of download locations operated at the control of the supplier. This type of operation can be cumbersome and expensive because the content may have to travel a significant distance and thus take up more time and space in the communications network. In addition, the transfer of content is limited by the location of the download locations.
Another challenge to the effective transfer and management of content is related to the provision of content at an acceptable transfer rate (e.g., as related to bandwidth). Certain packet-based devices are limited in their ability to process audio content at different speeds, either by their internal configurations or by the availability of network access. For instance, mobile (wireless) type packet-based devices can be limited by the available connectivity to mobile networks. In addition, certain devices may be implemented for wired and wireless communications, with their respective ability to access content being relatively higher (e.g., faster) via wired communications, relative to wireless; when these appliances are operating via wireless communications, they may be able to receive content at a lower speed, or bitrate.
Yet another challenge to content transfer and management stems from the existence of a myriad of different types of content, different types of content protection, as well as different types of content access appliances. For example, a variety of different content types are implemented for storing audio files. Often, these content types are associated with a particular type of digital audio device that is being used for playback. In addition, with each content type, there are often different manners in which the content is stored and/or protected, typically involving different levels of quality (e.g., with different playback bitrates). For instance, a digital audio player must not only have access to content but also have access to content in a particular format and be amenable to use of any protection applied to the content.
As discussed above, one of the particularly challenging aspects of network content transfer involves the protection of the content, which relates to the management of media rights such as those associated with digital rights management (DRM). As discussed above, digital media such as audio or video can be purchased via electronic delivery. In order to inhibit and/or prevent copying, distribution or other unauthorized use of content, security precautions are taken. In some applications, these security precautions require specific approaches to enable playback, which can further exacerbate difficulties associated with content transfer and subsequent use (e.g., playback).
Effectively and efficiently managing content transfer via communication networks has been challenging in the face of the advancement of technologies and trade channels that use or could use network-based content transfer. In addition, the limitations of previous approaches restrict the ability to meet the demand of transferring such content between content terminals in a reliable, secure, efficient and affordable manner.